American Museum of Natural History

Overview

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's largest and most celebrated science museums, occupying four city blocks on the Upper West Side with 45 permanent exhibition halls.

Highlights

• Dinosaur Halls: The world-famous 4th-floor fossil halls featuring a towering T. rex, a massive Titanosaur stretching 122 feet, and an Apatosaurus skeleton.
• Hayden Planetarium: The Rose Center for Earth and Space, a dramatic glass cube housing a giant sphere that contains one of the world's most advanced planetarium projectors.
• Milstein Hall of Ocean Life: A massive hall dominated by a 94-foot blue whale model suspended from the ceiling.

History

Founded in 1869, the museum's collection includes over 34 million specimens and artifacts. The building has been expanded repeatedly since its original 1877 structure, creating a labyrinthine complex of interconnected wings.

Visitor Tips

• Pay What You Wish: Admission for New York State residents is pay-what-you-wish. The suggested price applies to all others.
• Gilder Center: The stunning new Richard Gilder Center (2023), designed by Studio Gang, features a dramatic cave-like atrium and immersive insectarium.
• Duration: 3–4 hours.